In a global context where cultural tourism is establishing itself as one of the most relevant and dynamic segments of the international economic landscape, film-induced tourism has become a steadily growing phenomenon, capable of generating a significant economic impact worldwide.
According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), destinations linked to film productions record average increases in tourist arrivals ranging between 25% and 40% in the months following the release of a successful film or series (UNWTO & Netflix, Cultural Affinity and Screen Tourism, 2021). This data illustrates the promotional power of the screen: there are no other forms of territorial marketing capable of producing such an immediate and widespread impact on a global scale.
Market estimates confirm the trend: an analysis by Future Market Insights (2024) forecasts that the film-induced tourism sector will grow from $66.2 billion in 2025 to nearly $146 billion in 2035, with an annual growth rate of 8.2%.
This growth is largely driven by the global expansion of streaming platforms, which have made distant landscapes and cultures accessible to ever-wider audiences.
The power of film tourism becomes clear when looking at some now emblematic cases.
A striking example is New Zealand with The Lord of the Rings: between 2000 and 2006, the number of tourists rose from 1.7 to 2.4 million, a 40% increase. Many attribute this growth directly to the impact of tourism tied to the film saga.
As Kristin Thompson highlights in The Frodo Franchise: The Lord of the Rings and Modern Hollywood, Peter Jackson’s decision to film the entire trilogy in his home country proved decisive: it reduced costs, introduced groundbreaking technological innovations, and boosted the local film industry. Most importantly, the direct association between New Zealand’s landscapes and the imagery of Middle-earth generated a genuine tourism boom, strengthening and transforming the country’s international image. Moreover, the trilogy was not just a cinematic success: it gave rise to a constellation of related activities—DVDs, video games, exhibitions, and events—that consolidated its long-term cultural and economic impact.
Another significant case is Northern Ireland with Game of Thrones. The HBO series turned castles, coastlines, and valleys into iconic landmarks, now featured in thematic tours and official itineraries. The tourist flows generated not only brought immediate benefits to local economies but also led to the creation of permanent attractions, such as the museum dedicated to the series, inaugurated on the original sets. The phenomenon resulted in a substantial increase in tourism, with estimates for 2018 indicating around 350,000 additional tourists and an economic impact of over €55 million tied to the series.
Scotland also demonstrates how cinema and TV series can serve as tools for tourism promotion, confirming the positive influence of audiovisual productions on local economies and the creation of new cultural and tourist attractions.
The so-called “Outlander effect” led to record visitor increases at historic sites: in 2017, Blackness Castle registered +72%, Doune Castle +50%, while other locations such as Linlithgow Palace and Glasgow Cathedral saw growth of over 40%.
Nor is it the first time: Harry Potter continues to attract record numbers. In 2023, the Glenfinnan Viaduct, made famous by the “Hogwarts Express,” recorded nearly 500,000 visitors in just ten months, a +46% increase over 2022. Today, the unmistakable Victorian bridge is one of the most visited destinations in the Highlands, symbolizing how the screen can transform a historic site into a global attraction.
In the United Kingdom, tours linked to series such as Downton Abbey, Bridgerton, Harry Potter, and Sherlock are now part of the established tourist offering. In particular, Highclere Castle, the real residence that hosted the filming of Downton Abbey, welcomes around 30,000 visitors each year, with an estimated impact of over £172 million linked to the series’ brand through tickets, merchandising, and catering.
The common denominator is clear: where investment is made in infrastructure, marketing, and experiential paths, film tourism generates long-term economic benefits and fosters territorial revitalization.
Film tourism is not only about places, but also about brands, which can become an integral part of the cinematic narrative. In Barbie, the year’s blockbuster, Weird Barbie offers Barbie two choices: to remain in the perfect world of Barbieland wearing glossy pink high heels, or to enter the real world by putting on Birkenstock sandals, a symbol of authenticity and simplicity.
This scene triggered a surge in demand: according to 3DLOOK, a company specializing in virtual fitting rooms, Birkenstock sales increased by 340%, while online searches grew by 518% in the UK.
In Italy, the potential is enormous, but the figures reveal a still underexploited phenomenon. A study by JFC Tourism & Management (2023), presented by Italy for Movies, estimates the annual economic value of film-induced tourism in the country at around €600 million. This figure includes both the spending of tourists who visit film and TV locations, and that generated by crews during filming.
According to the same data, around 1.3 million overnight stays per year can be directly attributed to film tourism, in addition to over 11 million day visits.
The national tourism agency (ENIT) estimated that at least 5.5 million overall tourist stays in Italy in 2023 were motivated by cinema or television. Significant numbers, yet still limited compared to the potential of a country with over 19 active Film Commissions and unrivaled cultural and landscape variety.
Local examples demonstrate the strength of the phenomenon: Matera saw a 143% increase in international arrivals as early as 2004 thanks to Mel Gibson’s La passione di cristo, a success that contributed to the city’s bid as European Capital of Culture 2019. The Castle of Agliè, in Piedmont, saw visitors rise from just 1,300 to over 15,000 in a single month after the airing of Elisa di Rivombrosa. Sicily has turned the locations of Commisario Montalbano into must-see stops on organized tours, generating steady revenue for restaurants and hospitality.
Yet, according to the latest research, Italy attracts only 150,000 international movie-tourists per year, with an average stay of 1.5 nights and about 226,000 total overnight stays (MilanoPost, 2024). These figures highlight the gap compared to other European countries.
The success of film tourism in Italy shows how crucial it is to accompany productions with targeted policies and public-private partnerships. Hosting a major set is not enough: the challenge is to transform temporary interest into a consistent and structured flow of visitors.
In this regard, three strategic tools stand out.
The first is strengthening regional Film Commissions, which already play a key role in facilitating productions and connecting the audiovisual industry with tourism. Increasing their resources means ensuring greater attractiveness for international productions while preparing territories to welcome new visitors.
The second is fiscal incentives and targeted support: tax credits, co-production funds, and logistical assistance make Italy competitive on the global stage, attracting foreign investment and multiplying the tourism spillover effect.
The third concerns integrated promotion: cinema and tourism must interact through coordinated campaigns, thematic itineraries, immersive apps, and experiential tours that transform sets into lasting cultural products. International experiences show that when these three elements work in unison, the impact is tangible and stable over time.
If well managed, film tourism is not only a vehicle for cultural promotion, capable of exporting Italy’s image worldwide, but also a strategic economic lever that strengthens the international competitiveness of the national tourism system.
Every set can become a gateway to the territory, multiplying opportunities for food service, hospitality, crafts, services, and employment.
In an era when images travel faster than people, converting the emotion of the screen into a real experience means generating sustainable, long-lasting development for local communities.
Cinema, therefore, does not only tell stories: it can write new ones for territories, transforming them from mere backdrops into protagonists of the global tourism economy.
